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Thursday, March 23, 2017

Kemerov Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Kemerov started in 2013 by me (Matt, voice) and Giorgos (guitar). We started writing songs and trying to complete the band lineup, something that happened in 2015 when Tasos (drums) and Spiros (bass) entered the band. In November 2015 we self-released our first EP after which we never missed an opportunity to hit the stage, many times alongside legendary names such as Sodom, Rotting Christ, Septicflesh and Jucifer, among others. In January 2017 we released our debut album ‘FMKD’.

2.So far you have released an ep and a full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings?

We prefer the term “death ‘n’ roll” as the one to include our whole sound spectrum as fully as possible. We’re basically rock ‘n’ roll at our base, but we also love hardcore punk, old-school death metal and doom and we try to incorporate all these elements in our sound.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

The lyrics are inspired by every day life in an existential, social and even political level and how it all affects the human psyche and feelings. All this is usually covered in a rather nihilistic veil with a considerable amount of black humor. We might come out as grim or hopeless at times, but we’re nice guys if you look really deep down inside.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Kemerov'?

There’s no special or hidden meaning behind the name ‘Kemerov’, it’s just the name of a Siberian city where one can find some huge rocks placed on one another, for which legend says they were put this way by giants. We liked the way it sounds and we took it.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Our support live show for Sodom last February is for me among the best shows of ours to date, as Sodom is a band we absolutely love and respect since we were practically kids. The people, the vibe, the feeling; everything was perfect about that night. We have also shared the stage with many other great names, but we also enjoy playing in small gigs with local bands as well. Our stage performance becomes better and better with each show, as we are getting accustomed on stage and get to know each other within the band on stage better and better with each time. I think we’re in a very good shape about performing live now, and we can’t wait until our upcoming shows to demonstrate it even more.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Yes, there are some local shows we are scheduled to do in nearby Greek cities, while there are mane proposals from summer festivals. We are also planning a tour outside Greece after the summer. Once formal announcements are ready to be made, one can be notified about them through our Facebook page.

7.Currently the band is signed to 'Vault Relics', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Vault Relics is actually the label I personally have. It’s a label that is dedicated to promoting underground music that deserves to be heard. We have some vinyl releases of our own out there, while we also maintain a distro at http://vaultrelics.bigcartel. com/

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?

I have to say that any feedback we are receiving so far is positive. I strongly believe that our music style is unique and really distinct, as there aren’t many bands out there that choose to mix death metal with rock ‘n’ roll and punk like we do. Therefore, we’re getting great reviews, not only from death metal fans, but from fans of other music genres as well. We are really honored by this, and this gives us additional strength to go on.

9.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

We have been involved with other personal projects in the past, but these days Kemerov and the promotion of our debut album are the absolute priorities for all four of us.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

This is something yet to be seen with accuracy. We have just released a new album and at this moment we are mainly interested in promoting it. There are some new musical ideas shily surfacing here and there, but there is no definite new material created yet. One thing I’m sure of is that the Kemerov sound will never be boring and that it will always carry the kind of diversity and variety one can find in our debut album.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We’ve always been fans of old-school death metal. Speaking personally, Entombed are my all-time favorite band, and watching their musical course over the years, one can see a lot of the Kemerov sound making sense. I’m also a big fan of Turbonegro and Cathedral, so you could say that these three bands are the main starting influences. From then on, inside the band we all like very different things from each other, be it classic heavy metal, thrash metal, punk etc, and everything finds somehow its way to the final sound. These days, I listen a lot to the new Obituary album which sounds exactly as an Obituary album should!

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Music is at the center of attention and it consumes the vast majority of my free time. Apart from that, personally I am into board games and computer games.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thank you very much for the interview! One can listen to our album and support us in any way at https://kemerov.bandcamp.com/ and at http://vaultrelics.bigcartel. com/